


Echo in the Mirror

by Aceworu



Category: Persona 4
Genre: BACK AT IT AGAIN, Child Neglect, F/F, Homophobia, Multi, Nonbinary Character, Other, Past Child Abuse, Trans Character, Transphobia, souji's parents are terrible, they/them for souji and naoto
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-10-27
Updated: 2016-11-24
Packaged: 2018-08-27 07:37:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,366
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8392882
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aceworu/pseuds/Aceworu
Summary: After going to apprehend Adachi, the Investigation Team finds themselves in a new part of the tv world without their leader. Yosuke fills in as the leader for everyone as he starts to realize he doesn't know as much as he'd like about his Partner.





	1. Chapter 1

Yosuke comes to feeling like his head’s been split open. He groans, rolling over to his side and pressing his hand to his forehead like he needs to keep his brains in. Just as quickly as he’s done processing that, a ray of light washes over him, a pleasing note filling him up and lifting away the pain. He sighs in relief, thankful once again to Yukiko’s aptitude for healing spells. No longer encumbered by the pain, his brain is able to start piecing things together to figure out what the hell is going on.

Yukiko healing them meant they were in the tv world. Yosuke pushes himself up and takes a look around. Chie springs up to stand next to Yukiko, Kanji worriedly hovers around Naoto as they stand, and Yosuke has to bat Teddie away as the bear frets loudly over him. Yosuke scans over their surroundings, and finds himself puzzled. They had gone in to continue chasing Adachi, but where they were was wrong, somehow. It didn’t seem like the same place, dominated by greys and blues rather than the overbearing red of Adachi’s world, and more than that. . .

“Where’s Souji?”

Yosuke seemed to have been the one to vocalise what the rest of the group were all thinking, meeting his gaze with panicked looks of their own. He launches to his feet, cupping his hands by his mouth to shout out. “Hey, Souji! Partner! Come on, this isn’t funny!”

His call goes unanswered, echoing out into the greyish, isolating atmosphere and the thick fog around them. Yosuke staggers back a step, unsettled. “What the hell, man. . .”

“You don’t think .. . Adachi-san . . . “

Yosuke whips around to Chie, ready to snap at her before taking in the situation. She’s huddled close to Yukiko, one hand holding hers and the other attached to her red sweater sleeve, both of them looking just as confused and worried as he feels. He takes a breath, the sound of Souji shouting at him and the others to calm the hell down still fresh in his memory.

“We can’t assume the worst right off the bat. I don’t think we’re even /near/ adachi right now.”

“So then,” Kanji scratches the back of his head, shrugging his broad shoulders. “Where the hell are we?”

“Well that’s, um, a bit harder to determine.” Yosuke crosses his arms,already feeling frustrated. He really doesn’t know how Souji manages to stay so calm all the time. “First, we need to try to contact Rise.” Kanji nods, apparently satisfied with the answer. No one else speaks out against it, so Yosuke figures he must have gotten it right, and decides to go with that.

But contacting Rise wasn’t something he knew how to do, really. Most often, Rise’s communications were centered on Souji, with them being the leader and all. Still, she talked to all of them, so it couldn’t be difficult to reach back the opposite way. He takes a deep breath, looking up and trying to focus on Rise and her persona. “Rise?”

“Yosuke-Senpai!?” The volume and suddenness of her reply caught Yosuke off guard, sending him stumbling back into Teddie, who grumbles as Rise continues. “Oh, thank god! I couldn’t reach anyone, I was so scared! You guys went into the dungeon but then you got, like, rerouted, and I just now found you, and-” She pauses, and Yosuke has a vague sensation of her going over everyone with her persona, taking stock of their group. He swallows at the lump in his throat, dreading when she speaks again. “Where-Where’s Souji-Senpai?”

“We don’t know.” He continues before she can “Rise, listen, I need you to try to find them, alright? I know you’re worried, we all are, but try to focus on that.”

Rise takes a deep breath, and Yosuke swears he can almost see her nodding in his head. “Okay. I’ll do my best.”

There’s silence on the line as, Yosuke assumes, Rise summons her persona and scans over the area. When she clicks back in, she still sounds concerned, but less tense. “They’re nearby, but I can’t reach them. It’s like when we had to rescue Naoto, but. . .that would have to mean they don’t have a persona, right?”

There’s another murmur of nervous energy in the group, but Yosuke forces himself to stay focused. He looks down at the bear tugging nervously on his jacket. “Teddie, how about you, are you picking anything up?”

“Hrrmmm.” Teddie reluctantly lets go of Yosuke, stepping around everyone to sniff at the air. He keeps a determined face, but Yosuke can tell that he’s not picking up anything, considering he isn’t perking up and excitedly yelling about finding. The way he sadly trots back over to Yosuke is more proof. “It’s just like Rise-chan says. I can smell sensei, but I can’t talk to them. Just like how it was with Yuki-chan, Kanji, and Rise-chan.”

“So, there ain’t really a problem, right!?” Kanji spoke up again, catching Yosuke off guard. He turns back Kanji, the junior in a fighting pose. “We just gotta go in and save them like we did with everyone else!”

Yosuke smiles, finding Kanji’s enthusiasm contagious. “Yeah, of course! This sort of thing isn’t a problem for the investigation team!”

He had expected everyone to turn and rush in Souji’s direction when he’d finished, but he found everyone remaining in place. With their eyes on him. As if waiting for something else.

“Uh . . “ Yosuke squirmed, running a hand through his hair. “What’re you all looking at me for?”

“Well,” Chie said, shrugging. She had let go of Yukiko, her hands back on her hips like usual. “I guess you’re kinda the leader now, right?”

“ _What_?”

“I mean, you’ve been doing this the longest out of all of us!” Chie quipped.

“You are sort of like a second in command for Seta-Kun, so it’s only natural, right?” Yukiko agreed, giving a soft smile.

“I guess you’re right, but,” He looks around the rest of the group “are the rest of you okay with that too?”

Kanji shrugs “I don’t mind it, as long as we get to rescuin’ senpai soon!”

Next to him, Naoto nods. “Based on experience alone, the role would naturally fall to you.”

Teddie’s practically bouncing next to him. “I’ll follow you anywhere, Yosuke!” He stops bouncing, a serious look taking over his face. “Oh, but you’ll never beat out sensei, of course.”

Yosuke sighs, pushing him over. “Shut up, bear.” He takes a deep breath, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose as he turns the direction Rise had put in his head. “Okay, let’s do this.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> there's a bunch of Shadow!Sooj fic around now but i've wanted to do my own take on it for a while now so. Why not.


	2. Chapter 2

There was a quiet determination in the group as they made their way towards Souji’s location, and Yosuke was thankful for it. He feels like he can keep himself together better if everyone else knows what they’re doing. If he had to pull the team together like Souji would, he doesn’t know if he would have the strength for it. He clenches his fist around one of his knives, awkwardly tapping it without a rhythm. He’d feel weird putting his headphones on right now, with the rest of the team looking at him. Already on edge from Souji’s sudden disappearance, the absence of something so familiar certainly didn’t help.

After walking aways, the group comes across the place they’d been looking for. It’s a large building, and they can’t quite tell if it’s meant to be a school or an apartment building, so many parts of it looking to be slapped together haphazardly. Caution tape is slapped over the entrance, two doors leading to the familiar red and black portal.

Chie is the first one to speak since they started walking “This almost seems .  . .Normal, like, compared to what the others had.”

“We didn’t really have anything to expect,” Yukiko added “since Seta-kun was never on the midnight channel.”

Yosuke shrugs “Ha, most of the time we end up not knowing what to expect anyway.” With one of his knives he quickly slashes through a line of tape, the rest fading away after. He takes a breath, steeling himself for the dungeon ahead. He turns to the rest of the team. “Alright, once we’re inside we gotta be totally focused. We need Souji back if we’re gonna stop Adachi, and more than that, we need to make sure they’re okay.”

The team nods, everyone already preparing themselves for the fights ahead. Chie’s already bouncing from leg to leg, and yukiko next to her holds her fan open. Kanji punches his fist into his palm while Teddie tries to growl menacingly, and Naoto checks the safety on their gun before stepping forward. “I believe we should reach senpai as quickly as possible. Even with their abilities, circumstances haven’t left him in peak condition to endure something like this.”

Yosuke nods, swallowing down the lump of anxiety in his throat before addressing the team again. “Only go after shadows if we have to. Our priority is finding Souji. Even if we,” He pauses, taking another breath. Acknowledging out loud makes if feel so much more real, somehow. “Even if we have to fight their shadow without them, we’ll get through it. Now let’s go.”

He can see the uncertainty and worry cross everyone’s faces, but he can’t dwell on it. Without a word more he turns and steps into the entrance, relieved when the rest of the team follows in line behind.

The first room inside fits well with the exterior. A large school entrance hall, twisted and wrong somehow. Shoe lockers stretch on across the room, a wide set of stairs looming ominously in the distance. The floor seems free of Shadows, and Yosuke can feel the entire team relax just a bit, letting out a sigh of relief himself. They start making their way to the stairs, Yosuke feeling weird without Souji’s back guiding him where to go. He looks over the shoe lockers for anything of not, but they all blend together into a mess of bland, grey metal. He frowns, wondering not for the first time what could be bothering his partner so much, why they couldn’t open up to him, or anyone else on the team. What was this place trying to say about Souji?

“Whoa!” Kanji cried out suddenly, making Yosuke turn sharply, holding up his knives 

“Wha-” Before he can finish his question, Kanji points to a dark shape shooting between Yosuke’s legs. Almost tripping over his feet, Yosuke spins back around to watch it. When his vision comes back into focus, it settles on a black cat standing at the bottom of the stairs, bright golden eyes watching them unblinkingly before turning and bolting up the stairs. Yosuke chuckles uneasily. “Partner really will take any opportunity to be around cats, huh?”

“It might lead us to something. We should try to pursue it.” Naoto adds from behind him. They had been just a couple steps behind Yosuke since they entered, and he’s thankful for it. They’ve got the same sort of calmness and rational thinking Souji does, and it puts him at ease. He nods, quickly moving up the stairs.

“Isn’t a black cat crossing your path supposed to be bad luck?” Yukiko wonders aloud.

“Yukiko!” Chie cuts in Don’t bring any of that scary story stuff in here, I’m spooked enough as it is!”

Yosuke swallows down a lump in his throat and takes the rest of the stairs two at a time.

The second floor matches the theme of the first. A school hallway, much bigger and wealthier looking than Yasogami’s, stretches out farther than it should, twists and doors looming before them. The cat looks back at them, as if to make sure they followed, before vanishing into a wall. Yosuke sighs.

“Well there goes that theory, i guess.”

“Souji,” a voice from everywhere catches them all of guard, making them look up. “Your father and I will be spending a year overseas to help the company set up their international branch. My brother already agreed to take you in as to not interrupt your studies.”

There was silence in reply, and Yosuke couldn’t help but picture Souji’s stoic face receiving this information. “You’ll be leaving in April.” The voice - Yosuke presumes it’s Souji’s mother - continues. All the arrangements have already been made, so make sure you’re prepared by then.”

The voice fades away, leaving only the sound of Shadows creeping in the distance.

“Geez,” Chie is the first speak up. “ _ That’s _ how they found out they were coming here? That’s not exactly much discussion there.”

“Senpai never really mentioned their parents . . .” Kanji adds, scratching the back of his head. “If it’s always like that though, I can’t really blame them.”

“There’s no use wondering about it right now, we’re gonna hear more as we keep going.” Yosuke twirled a knife around his finger. “Right now we gotta keep moving.”

There was a round of agreement among the team and they were off, dodging and fighting off shadows as they navigated the maze of hallways and door. This part, at least, Yosuke was pretty comfortable with. They’d all been fighting long enough at this point that everyone was aware of their own strengths and covered each other’s weaknesses. His first instinct was still to look to Souji, but he managed to push past it sometime around the fifth time he ended up locking eyes with Kanji instead.

Black cats kept jumping in and out of view, enough for Yosuke to notice the slight golden shimmer on their fur. He wasn’t sure if he should find it endearing or unsettling. Reaching the second set of stairs, one was waiting for them again. This one stayed in place as they approached it, blinking up at Yosuke when he crouched down to it.

“You guys leading us to Partner, or what?”

The cat doesn’t answer. Instead it looks up at him, blinking slowly. Yosuke frowns. He remembers Souji saying a slow blink was a cat’s way of trusting you (they had actually described it as a kiss, but Yosuke didn’t really think that way. It’s a cat.) It seemed odd that something in here would display that kind of behaviour. Still, ever curious, he hold out a closed hand, just like he’d seen Souji do countless times on the floodplain. The cat bumps against him with its head without hesitation.

“When you’d become such a cat expert?” Chie chimes in, almost making Yosuke jump.

“It’s just stuff I picked up from Souji.” He stands, the Cat standing as well and rubbing up against his legs. “They’ll take any chance they get to spoil one of these things.” He starts to walk up the stairs, the Cat shooting forward and waiting for him a few steps ahead.  Behind them, Yukiko giggles.

“I see them sometimes with the cats on the floodplain when im running an errand. They always seem to happy.” She hums, fanning herself.  “Oh, and if you think about it, isn’t Souji a bit like a cat themselves?”

“Uh, would you care to explain, Yukiko-senpai?” Naoto inquires. Yosuke glances back at the others, a bit curious himself.

“Well,” Yukiko continues “they seem kind of standoffish and unfriendly at first, but as soon as you talk to them they’re very friendly and sweet!”

Naoto chuckles. “Hm. I guess you’re right.”

They reach the next floor, the Cat walking around Yosuke and rubbing against his legs as he takes in the new space. It’s a straight hallway, a few doors lining the walls. He’s silently thankful not to hear anything else from Souji’s real feelings or memories or whatever for now. Leading the team is enough of a strain on its own. He starts walking, not at all surprised when the Cat walks beside him. It’s just as he goes to open a door that Chie speaks up.

“Y’know. . . how much do we really know about Souji in the first place?

Yosuke’s first instinct is to spin right around and rail at her, because of course he knows his partner, he knows them better than any of them! How could she suggest he didn’t have that, like they didn’t just spend the past nine months investigating the case together, supporting each other.

But right now he has to be the leader. Right now he has to be the level headed, calm leader Souji always managed to be. He takes a breath, looking to Chie and waiting for her to explain. She seemed to pick up on his initial disbelief, fidgeting a bit as she continues.

“I mean, yeah, we know stuff about them from since they got here, and we know stuff they like, but. . .” She shrugs. “We don’t know anything from before they came here, or anything about their parents or any friends they had in the city. And i’m pretty sure you’re just as lost as I am on why they have something like this in the first place.” She fidgets again, hopping from foot to foot. “O-or something like that, I don’t know!”

Yosuke can’t help but smile a bit. Chie does have a knack for getting right to the heart of an issue. “You know, you’re way more insightful than you give yourself credit for, Chie.”

“O-oh, uh thanks.” She scratches her head, blushing a bit. Yukiko nods in agreement beside her.

“So. . .yeah, it kinda sucks to admit it, but you’ve got a point. I - we - don’t really know too much about Souji or what they might be dealing with here.” He grips the knife in his hand, face falling to a determined glare. “But they’re still our leader, and more than that, they’re our Friend. We’ll be there for them, whatever it is.”

“Well, duh, of course we will!” Chie lets out that big, bright smile of hers. The one that says she’s ready to jump right into whatever task is at hand, even with minimal planning. Yosuke smiles again, nodding as they head right into the next hall.

  
  


The new floor proves a bit easier, Yosuke having managed to fall into a comfortable rhythym with looking out for the team and calling out commands. It takes a lot more juggling than usual, without Souji’s many personas to cover their weak points and add extra support. Still, they manage, Yosuke, Kanji and teddie covering each other while Chie and Yukiko do the same. Naoto keeps an eye out for all of them, and Yosuke is losing track of how often they save their asses with a well timed makarakarn. Though Yosuke is quickly burning through his last few paychecks keeping their spirit up with the fox’s weird leaves, he feels like every thing is going pretty smoothly. All things considered.

He and the others backtrack to a door they missed. Yosuke stretches, figuring it has to lead to the stairs, with every other way leading to a dead end eventually. He’s glad for all the dungeon crawlers he procrastinated homework with. They made it a bit easier to keep all the twists and turns straight in his head. And Kanji pointing out whenever Yosuke went somewhere they’d already covered. Still, Yosuke is starting to think he might actually be able to pull this off. He reaches for the door handle, reading to keep moving and face whatever else this dungeon has to offer.

“Yosuke-senpai, wait!”

“Ah!” Yosuke jumps back from the door, almost tripping over his feet. Oh, right. Rise. Communication line.”Wh-what is it?”

“I-I sense Souji-senpai behind that door!” She calls out, the sound reverberating inside Yosuke’s head. “It’s probably their shadow, though. . . .I don’t really know what you guys should be expecting, so be careful!”

Yosuke tenses. He knew this is what the dungeon was leading too, but knowing it’s right on the other side of the door is totally different. He looks back at the team, knowing they’d heard Rise too. They look just as nervous as he feels. But Chie nods at him, already starting to get in her fighting stance. It helps Yosuke’s nerves a bit, makes him grab the door again. With a deep breath, he slides it open.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Very sorry for the delay with this chapter. I'm still at school and then i had to get my laptop fixed. With fresh repairs and break coming up soon, im hoping to have a shorter turn around time between this and the next chapter!


End file.
